Google Analytics Audit Test #

52

First-Touch Attribution to Email

Why It Matters:

Critical to understanding where your traffic is coming from and assigning appropriate credit.

Industries:

All

Checks For:

Accuracy

How accurate is your recent data?

Insight Category:

Attribution

Can you tell which marketing efforts are working?

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Background

A GA4 audit is essential for uncovering missing insights—key data points that organizations don't yet know and can act upon. A well-done audit evaluates both behavioral tracking and traffic attribution, ensuring each is accurate and useful. It also assesses whether the data collected truly supports business decisions and reporting.

Test Detail

This test flags when a high number of users in GA4 have “Email” as their first source.

While email campaigns can drive new traffic, seeing “email” listed as a common first touchpoint often signals misattribution—especially when links are missing UTM parameters.

GA4 defaults to "email" if it receives a referrer like Gmail or Outlook without clear campaign tagging, leading to skewed acquisition reporting.

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How to Conduct This Test

Basic Tests

  • In GA4, go to Explore > Free-form.
    • Use dimensions:
      • First user source/medium
      • First user campaign
    • Set a metric like New users or Conversions.
    • Filter or sort by “email” as the source or medium.
    • Look for high volume with “(not set)” campaign or unexpected growth in “email” as the first source.
  • You can also check Traffic Acquisition > First user source/medium in standard reports.

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Seeing a lot of email traffic that is credited to new users where it shouldn't be? Hire a pro to investigate.

How To Fix

  • Ensure all email links include full UTM parameters:
    • utm_source=[ESP platform]
    • utm_medium=email
    • utm_campaign=...
  • If using email platforms like Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or HubSpot, configure automatic UTM tagging or use dynamic parameters for each campaign.
  • Avoid using shortened links that strip UTMs or fail to redirect with parameters intact.
  • Double-check for click-tracking domains or redirect tools that may drop UTMs before the user lands on your site.
  • Hire a pro to audit your email tracking, clean up attribution, and ensure reliable first-touch data in GA4.

Tips from a Google Analytics Consultant

Focus on Insights

Every Google Analytics audit should result in a plan for more insights.

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An insight is:

  • something you don't know
  • and can act on to improve performance

The Goal

Identify and remove insight blockers. Don't get tempted to track things you can't act on!

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